CATEGORIES
INGREDIENTS
- Cooking Time: 35/40 minutes
- 1 to 1/4 cups lukewarm water (use greater amount in winter or dry climate; the lesser amount in summer or humid climate)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup honey, molasses, or maple syrup
- 3 1/2 cups King Arthur 100% whole wheat flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast, or 1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 2 tablespoons of the water in recipe
- 1/4 cup Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dried milk
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
DIRECTIONS
- In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6-8 minutes, or until it becomes smooth and supple. (You may also knead this dough in an electric mixer or food processor, or in a bread machine programmed for "dough" or "manual.") The dough should be soft, yet still firm enough to knead. Adjust its consistency with additional water or flour, if necessary.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and allow the dough to rise until puffy, though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into an 8" log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 1 to 2 hours, or until the center has crowned about 1" above the rim of the pan. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake the bread for 35-40 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after 20 minutes to prevent over-browning. The finished loaf will register 190 degrees on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center.
- Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. If desired, rub the crust with a stick of butter; this will yield a soft, flavorful crust.
- Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature.
- Notes: Molasses produces the darkest loaf; honey a lighter, milder loaf. Using real maple syrup will be more like the honey one, with a faint hint of maple. If you are one who finds the taste of whole wheat somewhat bitter, try substituting 1/4 cup orange juice for 1/4 cup water.
